I am always on the lookout for new ways to refine my bathroom organization. There is so much clutter, and I am constantly fighting with cords from different styling devices. With my old hair straightener on the fritz, I decided to dive into a whole new world of tech gadgets: a cordless hair straightener.

After some research, I decided to buy the GHD Unplugged hair styler. Read on for my review!

What is GHD Unplugged?

First, a few details of the product and what’s in the box:

The company GHD (or Good Hair Day) came out with a cordless hair straightener – the GHD Unplugged – in the summer of 2021. It charges using a USB-C cable, and takes 2 hours to fully charge. The device can be used for approximately 20 minutes on one charge. It has one heat setting (185°C/365°F), which GHD claims is the optimal temperature for styling: any cooler would require multiple passes on your hair to achieve the desired result, and any hotter would compromise the health of your hair. The styler comes with a heat-resistant carrying case, USB-C cable, charging cube, and instruction manual.

What's in the box?

The GHD Unplugged comes with a heat-resistant carrying case, USB-C cable, charging cube, and instruction manual

What's in the box?

What I like: Compact design

GHD definitely delivered on the design of this one. I went for the white version, and I love the look of the matte finish. It has a decent weight to it (about 300g) because of the internal battery, and I find this makes it feel like a high-quality tool. I love that the charging cable is small enough to fit in the side pocket of the carrying case. There is not enough space for the charging cube, though.

GHD Unplugged checks all the boxes for me in terms of look, and I was so happy to not have to wrap up the cord every time I used it.

*The GHD Unplugged carrying case has a side pocket that can fit the charging cable.*

What I like: Easy to use

This styler heats up quickly, which I love. Within 45 seconds of turning it on there is a pleasant little jingle to let you know it has finished heating up. It has a battery level indicator, so you can keep an eye on how much charge is left as you use it.

The ceramic plates are smooth and slid across my hair without any snags. I was worried that the plates would be too narrow, measuring a little less than 1 inch wide, but I found that they performed well for both straightening and curling my hair. (Note: my hair is medium/thick, but naturally on the straight side of wavy so not difficult to style.)

It also auto-shuts off after 3 minutes without use, so no more worrying about whether you left it on before leaving the house.

GHD Unplugged has an on/off switch and a battery indicator light in the front. There is 1 heat setting.

The GHD Unplugged is compact but feels good in my hands. It is not as small as a mini straightener.

The plates of the GHD Unplugged are just under 1 inch wide.

What I didn’t like: Can’t be used while charging

My main issue with this hair styler is that it cannot be used while it is plugged in. I am someone who typically lets my devices completely die before I charge them back to 100%, and I had to change my strategy with this device! I have been using it as my primary hair tool at home, and I have just gotten into the habit of charging it after every other use. I think this would be a bigger issue when using this for traveling (which is what it is mainly marketed for), but since it uses a USB-C cable it really can be charged anywhere. You can plug it into your laptop, your car, or anywhere with a USB-C port.

What I didn’t like: Price

Coming in at US$ 300 (CA$ 379), this is hair straightener is a pricey tool. There are many similar (but corded) options out there at a much lower price point. I purchased this during a 20% off sale at Sephora, which made the price easier to swallow.

Is it worth it?

Whether something is “worth it” is subject to your budget and your personal needs. What is worth it to me may not be worth it to you!

I am definitely very happy with my purchase. The GHD Unplugged hair styler has been exactly what I hoped it would be. It looks nice, it works well, and I no longer have to deal with another tangled cord in my bathroom cupboard. I am happy that I can use it as my primary styler at home, and can also stash it in my carry-on without added bulk.

Bonus: Why I bought the GHD Unplugged over the Dyson Corrale

I have to tell you that I was THISCLOSE to buying the Dyson Corrale hair straightener. I did a lot of online research in order to decide between the Dyson Corrale and the GHD Unplugged, and the main differences that I cared about were the battery life (30 minutes for Dyson vs. 20 minutes for GHD) and the fact that the Dyson tool can be used while charging.

*Dyson Corrale charger is bulkier than I expected!*

I went to the store to buy the Dyson Corrale and when I picked it up, I was surprised by its weight. It weighs about 560 g, which is almost twice the weight of the GHD Unplugged (300 g). And it is big – much bigger than the straightener I was already using at home. Finally, the charging cable is very long and has an adapter incorporated into it, which makes it even bulkier for storage. I was just imagining packing this device and charger into a weekend bag and having it take up the entire bag.

For the price, I decided the Dyson Corrale just was not for me! I think for someone with thicker/longer hair, however, this would be a better option than the GHD Unplugged just because of the battery life and the size of the plates.

Where to buy

GHD Unplugged (US$ 299) is available at GHD.com and Sephora

Dyson Corrale (US$ 499) is available at Dyson.com and Sephora

This is not a sponsored post! As always, I provide my real opinion on the product being reviewed. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase I will make a small commission at no cost to you.